


Open Hands

by Zlag



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Blizzard of '68, Character Death, Easter, Gen, Open Hands, Original Character Death(s), Song fic, sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 17:48:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14720762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zlag/pseuds/Zlag
Summary: A lonly girl, a lonly spirit, and how he was left behind.OrThe cause of the hatred between the Easter Bunny and Jack.





	Open Hands

"Be careful, you hear me?" A woman with long brown hair and gentle brown eyes asks. Her eyes filled with worry and concern.

Big blue eyes look up at her and the owner giggles. "I'll be fine, mom. You'll see. I'll find all the eggs and catch the Easter Bunny!!" The blue eyes are filled with so much wonder, hope, and assurance, all she could do was nod and swallow the lump in her throat.

But as the small brown haired, blue eyed girl is pulled away by her friends, blue eyes can't help but keep glancing back at her mother. Looking for- searching for the reassurance; that everything will be alright. That she will be.

She can't help but feel that won't be the case.

  
_Nobody wants to be the only one left standing._

_Nobody wants to be the only one to understand._

_And now I'm seeing the way that your leaving_

_Without me~_

  
"Jackie Samantha Darcy, stay away from the river, you hear?!" Her mother blows, and Jackie looks back to her mother with a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine! Promise." She yelled back with a wave of her hand. She looks back down at her Easter basket, seeing her notebook and card.

"I can't wait to give these to Jack." She mumbles under her breath. Her blonde haired friend giggles. "You don't still believe in Jack Frost, do you?" Jackie frowns. "Of course I do, Kate." "Oh," Kate begins sassily, "so you still believe in the Easter Bunny? Don't you think it's time for you to grow up?" she snarks.

Jackie's frown deepens.

"I have all the time in the world to grow up. I think it can wait." She says, wisely. "And don't you think it's more grown up to have an open mind? See the world from all the angels, see it for what it is?" She finishes, a truth and a wisdom beyond her 14 years of life. "No! And I'm not going to hang out with a child! Tell me when your done with your fairy tales!" Kate snaps, before storming off.

Jackie stares at her, bewildered, before chuckling, then laughing. "S-She calls me-e a ch-child, yet th-at is the-e best im-impression of a tw-o year old if I e-ever seen-n one!!!" She crackles. Her mouth pulled into a grin, pulling at her freckles.

Her cheeks are flushed with laughter, and she breathes a little breathless. Her shoulder length curly brunette hair bouncing carelessly. Her ocean blue eyes are bright against her tan and from her laughter and childishness. Her cheeks are round, and  still holds a little baby fat.

  
_Now grow up and drift away_

_No toy can hold you out_

_Go crying out_

_The sound goes silent_

_Open hands are hard to hold on to anyway_

  
She continues her way out into the forest, ignoring the glares on her back. The other parents don't approve of her out here, with the younger children. She's had more then one complaint about her. Kids saying she stole their eggs when they themselves couldn't find any. When they fall and get scratched, she was, 'supposedly', there pushing them. Getting one of her eggs for the effort.

The little monsters.

Oh, and it doesn't help that she's not quite about her opinion of them, either.

She doesn't have many friends, because believing in fairy tales at 14 happens to not be the best way to make some, apparently. Who knew? Jackie has believed in anything and everything since she's met Jack Frost. Though he says that's dangerous, and that means anything can hurt you.

Her head has always been stuck in books. And now, it's as if those books are alive.

She can see the magic in the forest, the fairies hidden in the trees, and the sprites caring for the forest. Though she doesn't stare. If she stares, they'll know she believes. And if they know, the darkness isn't too far behind.

She remembers meeting Jack.

It was right after her little brother's funeral. A day she can never forget.

  
_Anyway_

_Everybody wants the world to make them live forever_

_And nobody wants to be the only one who sees the pain_

_And now I'm seeing the way your leaving_

_Without me~_

 

* * *

 

 

 

It was raining.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Lifeless blue eyes look into the grey sky.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

They close, as their owner took a shuddering breath. As if it hurt to breathe.

Drip drop.

Drip drop.

Flash...

* **BOOM** *

Eyes startle open at the unexpected noise, before a flash of blue light caught their attention.

* **BOOM** *

That one was close. She could tell. She could feel the vibration through the old wood of her house. Another shuddering breath.

Drip.

Flip.

Drip.

* **BOOM** *

She lost herself in the story. Jamie's favorite. The Guardians. A story of the Golden Age, of the Dark Age, of the Moon and of the Guards. Of the young hero named Nightlight.

But she couldn't stop seeing dull brown eyes looking up at her. Of the silent accusing look in them.

_Why didn't you save me?_

They seemed to say.

_Why did you lie to me?_

They accused.

_Why did I believe in you?_

They shouted without words.

Shudder. Gasp. Cry. * **Thud** *

The book snaps shut on the wooden floor. Gold words stare up at her on worn leather. They seemed to stare up at her with accusations, too.

_Why didn't you save him?!_

_He was your baby brother!!_

_Why didn't you protect him?!_

_You could have tried harder!!_

_Didn't you promised to protect him?!_

_**Liar!!** _

Gasp. "No, no, no, nonononononononono!! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No please!! I'm sorry! I did everything I could!!! It's just nightmare." She begged and pleaded. Praying that this all was a nightmare and everything will be fine in the morning. That Jamie's alive brown eyes will greet her when she wakes.

That he's alive.

 

**{}~{•}~{}**

 

"Sis... is the Boogieman real?" A hesitant voice asks. Eyes alight with fear and wonder. Jackie puts her hand to her head and thinks. "Well, I believe he's real." She says, nodding her head. The brown haired boy ducks, scared. "But that doesn't mean I'm afraid of him." She crooned. Brown eyes look up hesitantly.

"Y-Your not-t?" He asks, his eyes filled with wonder and fear. She raises and eyebrow, "Are you?" she asks, gently. The boy nods shakily. "It's okay to be scared, Jamie. Here, I'll tell you what, I'll be your very own Guardian. That way, you won't have to be scared anymore, okay?" Brown eyes look up, hope and joy clearly seen. "You mean that, Sis?" She gives him a bright smile. "Yep!"

"Promise?"

"I promise to keep you safe. Forever."

 

**{}~{•}~{}**

 

' _And what a great guardian I was!_ ' She scowls. Remembering hopeful brown eyes, full of trust. Then of a lifeless corpse. Because that's **not** Jamie!! Jamie is to hyper. Too active. That **can't** be Jamie!! It's too **still**!! Too **cold**!! Too **_red_**...

She remembers twisted limbs. Of an odd angled neck. Of blood covering the ground. Of lifeless brown eyes. And a blood curling scream.

Her own scream.

Her blue eyes glance at the bathroom. Should she...? Mom and dad aren't home. Deciding quickly that she should, she runs into the bathroom. Because she knows that the town blames her. She's not deaf, she hears the whispered rumors; that she pushed Jamie off the cliff. That she had him, but let him go over the ledge. That it was her idea. That she killed her baby brother.

That she murdered him.

She wishes that she was the one that fell off the cliff.

Shakily, she opens the cabinet. Her hands tremble as she look at what's in her hand.

A razor.

She takes the blade carefully into her hand, as if handling a injured bird. Gentle and kind. Gently, she placed the blade on her wrist, knowing what she was doing was wrong, but she just didn't care anymore.

"No!! Wait! Stop!!"

Her hand freezes just above her pulse.

' _I didn't hear that_ ,' she realizes, ' _I felt it_.' She closes her eyes and focuses on where she felt it. She dug a little deeper into the person. Their feelings laid bare before her. Like the books she loves to read. What she found surprises her.

Sadness. ( _But not her own._ )

A deep loneliness. ( _Too deep._ )

A old hurt that never faded. ( _Too old._ )

A fear of drowning. ( _Too dark._ )

But, a deep sense of happiness, of wonder, of dreams. ( _She lost those when she saw his body._ )

A deep, old, strong hope buried underneath. ( _She lost hers_.)

A warmth of laughter and smiles. ( _She stopped smiling._ )

She turned to where she felt it quickly, trusting her sense. Before her stood a boy with a white shirt, a brown leather cape, and leather pants. He has stark white hair and ice blue eyes. "W-Who are you?" She's never seen this boy before.

He blinks owlishly.

"Y-You can see me?" He asks, shakily. She nods, with only a moments hesitation. "You can see me!" He states, no longer questioning it. He rushes at her and scoops her into a hug. He hold on to her tight, as if afraid one of them will disappear.

"H-Hi!! My name is-is Jack, Jack Frost!"

Ocean blue meets ice.

"Hi-i... I'm Jackie Darcy, nice to meet you."

_Now grow up and drift away_

_No toy can hold you out_

_Go crying out_

_The sound goes silent_

_Open hands are hard to hold on to anyway_

 

* * *

 

 

Jackie smiles at the bittersweet memory. She lost her younger brother and got an older brother the next day. Her keen eyes look around the forest floor for the eggs.

Seeing dark blue with swirls of teal and a brighter blue in the underbrush, she quickly grabs it. She admires her egg for a few minutes, tracing the swirls with her fingers. She smiles before she puts it in her basket, and starts for more. She finds five Easter eggs before she begins her next hunt. Find the Easter Bunny.

She begins her search.

She looks in the bushes and climbs up trees for the better view. Looking for him desperately.

"Come on, come on." She whispers harshly, but her eyes are filled with hope.

' _Come on! I can do this... for Jack. If I can get the Easter Bunny to pay attention to Jack, everything will be fine. I gotta do this now, or I won't be able to next year._ ' She tells herself, gaining determination.

Jackie has been sick for a few months now. Soon, the doctors predict, she won't be able to walk. She'll die in a month or two. She's afraid to leave Jack on his own, he needs somebody. She hasn't told Jack yet, she wants to wait until him and the Easter Bunny are friends. She'll wait. No matter what. She won't die until Jack has someone he can fall back on.

 

_Anyway, Anyway, Anyway_

_Now grow up and drift away_

_No toy can hold you out_

_Go crying out_

_The sound goes silence_

_Open hands are hard to hold onto_

 

* **SNAP** *

She spun around quickly, looking for what caused the disturbance. Glancing around, she spotted a low tree and quickly climbed up it to get a better view. She searched carefully in the brush, looking for what caused the noise.

What she saw made her gasp silently. Two long grey bunny ears poked up from behind a bush, but were too big to be a normal rabbit's. At her gasp, the ears twitched in her direction, before the owner took off, making a lot of ruckus as it went through the heavy foliage.

She quickly followed.

"Hey wait I just want to talk!!" She yelled out. But what Jackie didn't know was that the Easter Bunny was already back in the safety of his warren.

She continued to run, ignoring the blood on her arms from the scrapes of the brush and the branches of trees. She ran and ran, calling out, hoping to catch him. Soon she fell into a pattern.

Breath in.

Step.

Breath out.

Step.

Blue eyes start to close, focusing solely on her breathing.

In.

Step.

Out.

Step.

In.

Step.

Ou-

Blue eyes snap open and she gasped. Below her wasn't solid ground, but a raging river full of rapids. She tried to move her foot to one of the rocks, but it was wet and her momentum pushed her forward.

' _You know..._ ' she thought distantly, just as her ankle was grabbed by the raging waters. ' _I really hate Inertia right now_.' She finished as she was pulled under the water and into the rapids.

Her sense of what was up and what was down was quickly lost as she was pulled under so many times. Arms and legs hitting what felt like every rock. She screamed for Jack, for help. Her arms vainly trying to protect her head.

Time was lost on her as she just tried to survive. She almost didn't register the freezing cold. It just turned spring, so the ice was just now melting; leaving the river freezing cold. She gasped and screamed every chance she got; hoping someone would save her.

Her preyers were answered when she was jerked out of the water by her clothes. "Shh, shh, Jackie. Your gonna be okay. I promise, I promise. Just - Just stay with me. Please-please." A voice whispered in her ear, full of desperation.

She gave a shaky smile, recognizing the voice. "N-No Jack-k. I'm-m not. Pl-Please don't-t make-ke promises-s ya c-can't keep-p." She whispered, shivering. "Wh-What were you thinking!!" Jack said angrily. She smiled.

"Try'n ta catch-tch tha' East'r Bun-ny. M' sor'y." Jack stilled, and while she couldn't see it, she could imagine him griping his staff and locking his jaw in anger. She quickly grabbed his wrist.

"S' not-t h-his fau't. Mine. Sor'y Jack-k. I didn't-t tell-l ya. M' sick. Only-ly had-d few-ew mon's l-left an-anyway. Try'n ta g-get ya a'frien. Sor'y. Not-ot ya fau't either-er." His blue eyes turned sad as they gazed at the smaller girl. She took a shuddering breath as a shivered ran down her spine.

Her eyes glazed over for a second before she snapped out of it. "D-Dropped-ed my-y bas'et back down the riv'a. Stuff-f in it-t f-for ya. Sor'y. M' leav'n ya s-so s-soon-on. Not sup'se ta be-e this way-ay. I want-ed m-more time-me with-ith ya." She sobbed slightly. "M' cold, J-Jack."

His heart was twisted and broke by her cry. Tears slipped out of ocean blue eyes and down her slightly blue-ish cheeks. "Tha' blue' on's pr'tty. Ya' s-should-ld keep-ep it." He sobs as he looked into her dying blue eyes. Her blue tinted hand reaches out for him, and Jack quickly grabs it.

"Will-l ya s-sing m-me a s-song, Jac-k?" She asks quietly.

 

_Anyway, Open hands are hard to hold onto_

_Anyway, Open hands are hard to hold onto_

_Anyway, Anyway, Anyway, Anyway_

 

His hand try to grab and squeeze her hand one last time, but it slips out of his hand.

Her hand, which once had a beautiful red flush, was icy blue and was froze open.

Her face was also pale and blue, while her eyes lids were froze half open. Tears were frozen on her cheeks, as well. A sob racked his body and through his lips. He cried and pulled her close, as if to warm her as he cradled her gently. He lightly pressed his own blue tinted lips on her forehead lovingly, as his liquid, but freezing cold, tears hit her face. He never noticed the blizzard that roared around them. Covering everything in pure snow.

People fled to their homes, and canceled Easter. But one mother's child never did, and will never come home. And miles away, on a globe in the North Pole, the brightest light faded away, never to be seen again.

No one even glanced at it.

"I love you, little sis." He whispered into her brown hair lovingly. His eyes were red from crying, and tear trails were froze on his cheeks. He gently picked her up, and cradled her to his chest, and he began to walk up the river. Not flying so he could spend time with her, knowing he will have to give her body to her mother. His shoulders shook with silent sobs. Eventually he found her basket buried in the snow by the river.

He gently picked up the blue one she talked about and froze it. He made sure the chocolate wouldn't melt, and the shell wouldn't be broken. He also grabbed the card and note book that had a lock on it. He lightly fingered his necklace that held a key.

Another sob escaped his lips.

_-Will you always stay by me, Jack?-_

_-I promise, Jackie-_

_-Okay, but make sure to keep this necklace safe. It's important!-_

He placed both of them in his hoodie pocket. He gently put the Easter basket in her hands and took off with he wind. He gently laid her in her mother's front yard, and put another kiss on her forehead.

Another tear slipped past his eyes.

When her mother finds her the next day, she wails, waking up the town. When the townspeople come across the scene, mothers sob and try to comfort her, while men gently pick up the girl.

 

**{}~{•}~{}**

 

"Wha' do ya think yah doin', Frost?" A menacing voice growls.

Said Frost grits his teeth in anger. "What do you want, Bunnymund?" He snaps. Bunny's eyes widen in shock. Jack Frost never says his name, or snaps. "Ya ta stop tha storm." He quickly bits back. Jack rolls his eyes, but not in his usual way. Now it seems to have a edge to it.

"And for ya ta stop messin' with mah holiday. Do ya know how many ankle biters got hurt in yah storm." Bunny growls at the smaller spirit. For a brief second there was fear in those ice blue eyes. "Any of them die?" He ask, a little too quickly.

Bunny growls. "One. Little Sheila, 'bout 14. Jackie Darcy. Hypothermia." He snaps, a fiery anger in his gaze. Jack laughs, a cold smirk on his lips; determined to not let how much that hurt show.

And it did hurt. It hurt so much. A sting from winter winds bites at his heart.

"You know, you should keep up with who killed who before you accuse me. She fell in the river. I couldn't help her; remember, invisible here. Where were you?" Jack retails, cold anger in his tone.

Bunny flinches. "Ya know, ya could try ta be responsible for ya mistakes, ya bloody bloke!" Jack scoffs, loudly.

"Yeah, you over grown rabbit. Winter, snow, ice, everything's my fault. Am I going to be blamed for forest fires too?! How about the kids that die from heat strokes, do you get all up on summer sprites?! You know I'm just one sprite; I don't make winter, I follow it.

"It was around way before me. Yes I caused this blizzard, but no one died in it. She was dead before it began. Now I gotta go." He said coldly before the north wind picked him up gently.

 

**{}~{•}~{}**

 

The years that followed were some of the harshest winters.

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot I had this some where. Anyway, I hope you liked it. I've always wondered about their hatred for each other.


End file.
